Masang Kang: Retracing Zhabdrung’s Steps

The Auley festival is celebrated in highland villages of Laya and Lungo to commemorate Zhabdrungs’s arrival in Bhutan from Tibet. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 9th month of the Lunar Bhutanese Calendar. If you plan your trek, you will be able to witness and partake in this unique unconventional celebration of the highlanders.

The Kangkar Puensum Trek is one of Bhutan’s most remote treks. Leading trekkers deep into the rarely visited eastern Himalaya toward the base of the world’s highest unclimbed mountain Gangkar Puensuem (7570 m). The trek lies within the boundaries of Bhumthang district in central Bhutan

The route starts in Nasiphel in Chokhor Valley and culminates at Bamurpa, Base Camp. From here, at 4400 meters, we are offered with unobstructed views of Kangkar Puensum’s dramatic southeast face along with other rugged massifs notably Melunghi Kang, that few travelers ever see.

True to Bhutan’s slow and immersive trekking style, the journey unfolds through isolated valleys, highland culture and pristine high-altitude terrain. The route diverts west through high passes towards the natural hot springs of Dur, where trekkers can soak and reflect after days spent in one of the Himalaya’s last great wilderness areas and exit at Dur Village after 2 days, close to where we started.